[PRCo] Re: Homewood Carbarn fire

[Edward H. Lybarger]

Remember that in 1955, the last of the "old cars" had been out of service
for just a year.  This comment was more indicative of car type than of
actual age, real or perceived.  And the newest were only 6 years old.

Ed

-----Original Message-----
From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
[mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org]On Behalf Of Bill
Robb
Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2006 4:44 PM
To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
Subject: [PRCo] Homewood Carbarn fire


    Yesterday I purchased a copy of  an out of print book called "We Have A
Box Working": The Pittsburgh Fire Department from a traction fan and fire
buff.  The book was written by John R. Schmidt, who was 25 year member of
the Mt. Lebanon Fire Department in 1997as of when the book was published and
a founder of the Tri-State Antique Fire Engine Association.

  The book covers the history of each fire station and it's companies,
apparatus used over the years and some major fires.  This is what it says
about the Homewood carbarn fire:

  "This $400,000 blaze struck one of Pittsburgh's Street Car Barns on July
12th, 1955.  Fourteen new cars were destroyed and eleven others damaged.
Fire Chief Steve Adley, who was in charge at the scene, was told by
employees that a short circuit in the motor of an old work motor that
recently been pulled into the barn, started the blaze.  The sparks had set
fire to the grease, and the fire had started to travel up the sides of the
barn interior.  The roof, which was made up of wood and tarpaper, quickly
ignited.  The roof soon collasped.  Six alarms were rung in, bringing over
25 pieces of fire apparatus to the scene.  This facility was one block long.
Firemen were able to stop the fire from reaching the No. 1 Barn and an oil
storage shed."

  I find the "new cars" comment interesting.  I remember hearing air cars in
Toronto described as "new streetcars" in the early 1960s.  As long as the
cars appeared to be in good condiiton the public really didn't have any
notion of how long they had been around.


  Bill Robb






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